


A Princess's Dilemma

by la_reine_rouge



Series: Adventures in Salaria [1]
Category: No Fandom, Original Work
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-06
Updated: 2018-11-06
Packaged: 2019-08-19 12:54:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16534964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/la_reine_rouge/pseuds/la_reine_rouge
Summary: Idris is the Warrior Princess to the Edari tribe, a desert clan made exclusively of women. She has always been independent, but heavily protected by her mothers. In an effort to garner her freedom (or corral her in place), the tribe hosts a competition between the strongest tribeswomen who battle the princess herself to become her bodyguards. Idris thought she was home free. She never imagined that she would be bested by her final opponent.(P.S. Her dilemma isn't just that she has a bodyguard when she doesn't want one *waggles brows*)





	A Princess's Dilemma

**Author's Note:**

> So I wrote this a couple months ago as a gift for my friend. I've been writing the Salarian adventures for my girls for a long time now, probably the last year or more, and putting this up is actually super nerve-wracking. If you're interested in learning more about my little fantasy world, please feel free to comment below! 
> 
> A side note about the Edari - they age much slower than most others, so a general rule of thumb I use is to cut the age in half (i.e. when Idris is forty years, she'd be the equivalent of a twenty-year-old, and when Aur is twenty she'd be the equivalent of a ten-year-old)
> 
> Also, it should be noted that whenever I refer to "my girls" in my Salarian tales, I actually have a whole cast of bad ass women as my main characters! If you're interested in learning more about the rest of them, please feel free to keep an eye on this series and I'll post other snippets with them in it as well~

Since she was a baby, Idris had believed that she was the best thing to happen to the tribe. Children were rare in Edare, and only the most compatible of women could produce them. Of course, they weren’t really necessary, either, considering that most Edari lived well into their two- or three-hundreds. But her mothers had been so excited for her birth that they gave their princess everything she could have asked for. Shiny new weapons, armor made from sand glass, the best battle training in all of Edare; you name it, and Idris had it. Perhaps her mothers had spoiled her too much too soon, but the young princess had never felt as though that was the case. She was the princess, the only princess, so it made sense that she had everything she wanted. She wasn’t ordinary like the others were.

As she lay on the ground, staring up the length of a long sword at the face of a nameless gargantuan, Idris felt – for the first time – that she was just an ordinary woman.

After her twenty-fifth year, when she was finally allowed out on hunts and to start fighting in battles, Idris had made it clear that she had no desire to have a guard. It was not necessary in her eyes, but her mothers both disagreed. It took a lot of fighting and arguments before she had finally relented: if the soldier could beat her, then she would take them as a guard. The queen and her general had created a challenge process that very day; whoever won against the princess would be granted a place in the royal guard, and women piled in even from neighboring tribes in an attempt to best the first recorded child in decades.

However, every attempt fell flat. Each challenger was knocked on her ass, her sword skittering away, Idris staring down with her blade at their chest, their throat, their head. Each woman graciously (or, perhaps, not so graciously, in some cases) admitted defeat and up stepped yet another combatant. It was a tedious process, really, but it was one that sated her mothers and kept her from being watched at all hours, so Idris was willing to accept the battles. Before each round of competitions, she asked her mothers if they would please stop this madness, to just let her be her own protection. For fifteen long seasons, they continued on with the senseless challenge, until finally Aer and Idara agreed. If she could last one more slew of competition, the princess would be allowed to serve her own self.

Naturally, word got around quickly that this was the final year for challenging, and the numbers of opponents grew exponentially. Not that Idris minded, of course, for it only furthered her point; that she was more than capable of taking care of herself, and anyone who dared say otherwise was going to be proven incorrect.

Until. The final day of challenges was winding down, and Idris was no more winded than usual. In fact, she found she had more energy as she watched the sun dip lower and lower on the horizon. No one had come close to besting her all day, and the princess was coming to realize that she had succeeded. She would be free of a babysitter, free to make her own decisions and go on her own outings and do as she herself pleased. It was, honestly, the best news she had ever received. So when one final challenger stepped up, there was no hesitation in her voice, her stance, her battle. Idris was ready to have her freedom. And yet…

It didn’t take long for her to realize she was being matched. As a princess who had been battling since she was but a child, be it against imaginary foes or her nursemaids, Idris knew full well her strengths. Knew them better than anyone. Except, maybe, this stranger who stood against her. Every swipe of her sword was parried, every sweep of her leg was dodged or blocked. Idris even found herself on defense every now and again, lifting her sword quickly to halt a blow that could have well sliced her in half had she moved any slower. This challenger was a brute, taller than even she, and far more muscled. Normally that would equate to slower as well, someone she could easily outpace or outlast, but Idris herself was the one tiring first. She needed to end it quickly.

She lifted her sword out and to the side, twisting at her hips to get the full momentum that she needed, and swung in. The stranger did not move to parry, and Idris felt she had her. Just as she was about to make contact, however, the stranger was gone. The princess’s eyes widened as they followed her up, up, up, almost sitting in midair, and then the stranger dropped like a stone. The setting sun blinded her briefly, making her eyes smart and her hand lift as a shield, and in that instant Idris knew she had lost. Her feet were swept from underneath her by a thick leg and she hit the ground, ass in the sand, and looked up the long blade at a face she was about to become very familiar with.

The arena was silent. Deathly silent. The blade did not waver, just as the glacial blue gaze burning into her did not. Idris felt her heart stutter in her chest as she finally allowed herself to take in the way the other woman's muscles moved, how her chest heaved, the ripcord of her thighs. Her head could easily be crushed in those thighs. Idris doubted she would mind.

Screw that – of course she would mind! She was the princess, who had almost gotten off without a guardian, and a mere hour early had been knocked on her hind end. Of course she minded. The shock dissipated into burning anger.

“What is your name, warrior?” The queen’s voice finally rang out over the silence, causing the stranger to turn her head ever so slightly. Despite knowing the implications, knowing the lack of honor in her actions, Idris lunged at her shifted form, hoping to unsettle her and put her in the sand herself, but instead it was as if she expected it. The woman casually dropped into a crouch, wrapped one large arm under her ass, and hoisted the princess up over her shoulder like she was nothing more than a sack of potatoes. Idris was frozen for a full minute before she started her attempts at freedom.

“I am Aur, Your Highness,” came the reply, calm and relaxed even as Idris flailed like a fish over her shoulder. “I come from the Northernmost tribe and seek to protect the crown of Edare.”

Aer ignored the fact that her daughter was being humiliated in lieu of congratulating the stranger. “Welcome to the royal guard of the princess, Aur Guard.”

The tall woman bowed gracefully despite the added weight and movement of her new ward. “It will be my honor to serve the crown.”

Without putting the princess down, Aur strode out of the arena with her head high and sword in hand. Idris, no matter how hard she fought, could not seem to shake herself free. The heft of her situation weighed her down, and the princess realized that she was absolutely screwed. This Aur – this woman who had bested her – she knew the princess’s actions better than even Idris herself. There was no chance of her being able to get out of this. Not even if she begged. Crossing her arms in a huff, the princess relented only until they returned to her tent and she was placed on the ground. Immediately, she whipped around and slammed a kick into Aur’s side. Not that it really mattered, since the other woman caught it easily and held her in place.

“Who are you?” The words were spat low, dipped in venom. Idris felt like she was going insane – did she want to choke this woman, or did she want to kiss her senseless? That was a question for another time. Aur barely blinked.

“I am Aur, of the Northernmost tribe. Now, I am your guard. Please, princess, behave yourself, or I will be forced to take action.”

Even if she wasn’t a princess, Idris would have taken offence to the way she spoke. This stranger dared to talk down as though she was nothing? She was the _princess_ , the first child born in over sixty years, she deserved the respect and adoration of everyone! But Aur did not seem fazed, even when Idris’s other leg came up towards her head. She simply grabbed it in one large hand and brought it down to her waist, effectively pinning the princess to her body by her feet alone. Idris had to use the abs she had worked so hard on building to hold herself up while she threw punches at the woman’s head. Aur’s eyes flashed as she hoisted the princess higher and put her over her back. The most effective maneuver now would be to go for the backs of the knees, but again the action was anticipated and avoided by Aur literally dropping the princess and forcing Idris to put her hands down and roll in order to not crack her head open. By the time she got the chance to whirl on her assailant, the taller woman was already facing her and more than ready to block any other actions.

It was enough to set Idris’s teeth on edge.

“Who trained you!” Her mother had trained her, the general of Edare, so it was expected that she be a powerhouse in the field of battle. This – this peasant had no business besting her time and time again! Idris charged for her with a low battle cry, and found herself on her ass again, this time with the tall woman leaning over her, effectively pinning her to the sheets of her bed. In this position, it was impossible not to see the strength in her body, feel the heat of her skin. Aur’s eyes pierced lances through her very core and set her body ablaze. It made her wonder what it would be like if they were unclothed. Idris wanted to scream at herself for her thoughts, or maybe for a different reason. She was still undecided.

“You did.” Idris was frozen at the smoky timbre of her new guard, the sound alone stoking fires in places no one else had ever. “I would watch you, every tournament, study how you moved and how you beat all of your opponents, and then I would go train myself. I would picture you standing against me and imagine how I would fight back.” Aur leaned down, her ombre hair tickling a strong jawline sharp enough to cut glass. “I studied from you. I learned from you alone, which is how I was able to beat you. And how I will always be able to beat you. So, princess, it’s time to simply acknowledge it and behave.”

Just because Aur’s voice made her melt and those eyes took her breath away did not mean that the princess of Edare was going to just submit to her! Idris growled and pushed up against her, trying to shove her away, but got caught when the full length of their bodies brushed against one another. One thick arm was wrapped around her waist, across her spine, holding her tight to a body so warm it could scorch her. Idris tried to keep the scowl up, but it was becoming increasingly difficult the closer Aur’s head dropped towards her own…

Her mother whisked open the tent flap with all the regality of a queen and paused, staring at her daughter sprawled unceremoniously across her bed and her new guard sitting cross-legged halfway across the room, calmly picking at a small knife in her hands. Idris sat herself up and scowled darkly at the other woman, but Aur was looking solely at the queen even as she fiddled with the blade. Aer clasped her hands in front of her and stared her daughter down.

“Idris, I expect you’re treating our guest with the respect she deserves.” There was no question in her voice, just a calm command that brooked no argument. Idris scowled at her mother and crossed her arms in the most petulant manner she could manage at nearly forty years old. “Aur Guard, there will be a feast tonight in honor of your win. You will join us, with Idris, at the set sun. In the meantime, do you have items you would like to acquire from your home?”

The smile on Aur’s face suddenly did not quite meet her eyes. “I brought everything important with me, Your Highness, but I thank your hospitality.”

Aer studied her for a moment before nodding once, her head dipping a bit further than was necessary for a woman of her position. “I understand. Please feel free to set your tent in the space next to Idris, then.”

Aur’s expression was a frozen mask of pleasantries, cut from granite itself. “I have no tent, I’m afraid, Your Highness. I will simply sit guard outside.”

Idris would never admit aloud that the first thought in her head was for the solider to stay the night with her, preferably in her bed. Instead, she looked to her mother, who…did not actually look that surprised, considering the information she had just been given. In fact, Aer looked almost sad as she watched her daughter’s new guard.

“Were you displaced by the Scourge?”

Idris nearly leapt out of her skin. The Scourge had happened decades ago, but it had been devastating. Nearly the whole of the Northernmost and Northeastern tribes had been wiped out. Refugees had taken residence in the neighboring tribes in an effort to save lives, but the attempt was too little too late. Nearly fifteen thousand women had died in just over two seasons. It was plagues like the Scourge that made the Edari lucky children were few and far between.

Aur didn’t blink, clearly having expected the question. “My mother acquired it in the early months working as a healer. My other mother got it from her in her attempts to help. The reapers did not know how I had survived when they found me months later. They assumed it was my youth.”

Aer finally looked surprised. “How old were you?”

“I was twenty years, Your Highness.”

Both Idris and her mother did a double-take, exchanging glances from across the room. The queen took a step closer. “Twenty? Then you were just four years younger.”

Aur nodded. “Yes, Your Highness. Shortly after, I was brought here and have been ever since.”

“You have lived alone, with no tent or home to lay your head, with only minimal belongings, since you were twenty?” Idris’s voice did not even attempt to hide her shock. Aur finally turned to her and smiled again, but the princess had already seen that smile briefly when she was actually happy. This smile was stiff, frozen, a shadow of her previous enjoyment.

“Yes, princess.”

Again, mother and daughter looked across at each other. Suddenly, Idris’s idea of sharing a tent did not seem so outrageous. She was about to say as much when the flap was whisked open again and Idara strode with purpose into the tent. As the general of Edare, she was clad in her typical attire: light armor over her chest and a skirt with high slits. Her long sword was strapped to her hip, and one hand rested on it lightly out of habit.

“Aur Guard.” Immediately, the woman sat up straighter, her expression dissipating into careful blankness. “You bested my daughter in battle. In accordance to the agreement we decreed a decade and a half ago, you…” Idara trailed off when she realized that both her wife and daughter were staring at her with narrowed eyes. “…what did I do now?”

“Idara, my dear,” Aer was leaning close, her tone sharp as the knife still fiddling in Aur’s hands, “if you had come when I said to, you would have heard the whole story.”

Idara stared worriedly at her mate. “Story? What story?” The hand that came up to smack the back of her head did not seem to be unexpected.

“That I was displaced from the Scourge and came here at twenty years with little more than the clothes I’d been given and a wooden sword my mother gave to me.” Aur seemed to be sort of blasé about the situation as she held up the small knife still in her hands. “And this.”

Idara’s expression was softer than the princess had ever seen; Aur looked shocked and unsettled when the general took a step forward with arms outstretched. Aer was close behind, leaning in after her wife with the intent to coddle. The closer the queen and general got, the more harried the new soldier looked. It didn’t seem to be a surprise when both women dropped onto her, grabbing her close and holding her tight. Aur just looked mightily uncomfortable as she held as still as possible.

Idris couldn’t help but wish she had been included in the embrace.

By the time her mothers pulled back, the poor guard seemed about ready to sprint out of the tent. She awkwardly scratched the back of her neck before yipping when the general grabbed her by the arm and dragged her upwards.

“Come,” she declared without waiting for an answer, “let us celebrate.”

Aur was dragged out, shooting wild-eyed glances over her shoulder at the princess and queen, but they merely just waggled their fingers and let the flaps fall shut behind the disappearing women. Immediately, Idris turned to her mother, her expression dropping into seriousness. Aer’s expression mirrored her own.

“Mother – I want her to stay with me.” There was no room for argument in her tone. “She has been through enough as it is. I do not want her far.”

Aer studied her for a moment longer before a wide smile split her dark face in half. “Your words echo my thoughts.” One delicate, ringed hand came up to stroke over her braided purple hair. “Despite your reluctance to have a guard, you wish to help her by giving her a home, even though it means taking away the ease of your freedoms.” Aer leaned up on her toes to kiss her daughter’s cheek. “I am proud, _niera_.”

Idris smiled as well and followed her mother out of the tent. Already, her mind was racing, thinking of how she would have to move her furniture around so as to provide space for her new soldier. So distracted was she that she did not notice when her mother stopped and found herself crashing into her back. Aer barely moved, but her hand did come back to tap her daughter’s arm.

“Look.”

Idara, as the general of a multitude of powerful women, was always prone to breaking out the alcohol to an extreme. Drinking competitions were paramount at every celebration. Seeing Aur slamming drinks back was not necessarily unexpected, but the way she held her own against a woman renown for being able to drink an entire barrel on her own was. Idara was chortling with laughter as she tossed back more and more alcohol until she finally found the need to dance. Immediately she was on her feet, challenging her opponent to yet another competition. Though she did stagger ever so slightly when she got her feet back underneath her, Aur’s dancing was far from intoxicated. She flowed around in wide circles, her hips rocking back and forth as she spun on her toes. In the flickering firelight, Idris was able to properly admire the thick muscle of her thighs, the tightness in her abdomen, the roundness of her… It was difficult to pry her eyes away from the ample end, but the princess managed just in time to meet her mother’s knowing gaze. Aer grinned at her blushing face before joining her wife in a sensual dance, their bodies moving together in tandem.

Despite being the princess, Idris was not really a dancer. While she certainly liked the music, her body never seemed to move the way it was supposed to with the beat. She perched neatly on the sand to watch the fun instead. By the time her guard’s legs gave out and she collapsed beside her, her mocha skin was saturated with sweat and the sand stuck to her body like a second skin. Aur laughed heartily as Idara catcalled after her. She lay for a moment before propping herself up on her elbows while her biceps bulged tauntingly. Her icy eyes flicked over to the princess, who was staring unabashed; immediately upon being caught, Idris turned away with a scowl.

“Do you not dance, princess?” The voice sent a shiver down her spine. Idris blamed it on the chilled desert air.

“No, I do not.” She wasn’t about to admit she didn’t have a beat in her body to the woman she just met. Her arms crossed in front of her chest as she stared ahead at the others. “I prefer to sit.”

The faint scent of alcohol filtered through her nose as the mocha woman hoisted herself up; Idris realized she didn’t quite mind its sharp tang when mixed with the naturally earthy scent of her new guard. “I bet you would look beautiful out there, my princess. Dancing your heart out, flowing with the beat…” Aur drew closer still, a smile curling her dark lips. “Divine, like the Goddess herself.”

Idris felt a shiver go down her frame once more as she turned and stared right into those entrancing eyes. Her body was leaning in automatically, pulled in by the musk of her… only to remember where they were. She held herself firm, watched glacial eyes flicker with amusement, before the taller woman straightened and hauled herself back to her feet. One large hand came down, reaching for her.

“Dance with me, princess.”

There were so many reasons to not take that hand. Her duty as a princess, her lack of coordination, the way she could feel her mothers’ eyes boring into her…

Idris took the hand and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet and into the music.

**Author's Note:**

> Some information about their appearances, since it might be a bit confusing to those who don't know anything about my warrior girls!
> 
> \- Warrior Princess of Edare – Idris  
> o 50 yo (looks 25)  
> o Long deep purple-almost-black hair usually back in braid or ponytail  
> o Brown eyes, caramel skin  
> o Muscular, tall (5’11” 212 lbs)
> 
> \- Second General of Edare – Aur  
> o 46 yo (looks 23)  
> o Guardian to Idris  
> o Black hair w ombre variation in a bob cut  
> o Glacial eyes, mocha skin  
> o Massive, muscular (6’4” 234 lbs)
> 
> \- Queen of Edare – Aer  
> o 98 yo (looks 46)  
> o Brighter purple hair than daughter, shoulder-length and flowy  
>  Actual birth mother  
> o Blue eyes, caramel skin  
> o Leggy and lean (5’9” 178 lbs)
> 
> \- First General of Edare – Idara  
> o 108 yo (looks 49)  
> o Black hair, long and heavy, usually in braid  
> o Brown eyes, chocolate skin  
> o Tall and ripped (6’2” 221 lbs)


End file.
